Auris Halven
Auris Halven is a half-elf fighter and adventurer Background From what little Auris knows, he was born of a pre-marital affair between his mother and an unknown elf. He has few memories of his mother, a spare handful more of his grandfather, a terrifying figure from of a child's remembrances. He knows his mother died just a few years after he was born, though he knows not how, he remembers being sad, then scared, and then the monastery. The Monastery of the Fellowship of Light was an austere but beautiful place, and it was were Auris would spend the rest of his childhood. The monks of the Fellowship attempted to instil virtue and piety in their half-breed ward, and while all agreed that he was a very pleasant and, essentially, good-natured boy, he was undeniably lacking in monkish temperament. After years of putting up with Auris' irreverence and pranks, at age thirteen, the youngster, already broad of shoulder and strong of arm for his age, was bundled off to the Warrior Fellows to train as a Lightbringer, the military arm of the Fellowship. The monks hoped that a dose of martial discipline would straighten out their unruly charge, but to the eventual dismay of the Knight Captain, Auris would prove as inviolate to the ministrations of the Lightbringers as he was to the monks. He quickly took to the sword, and proved himself to be a skilled warrior, leader and tactician, but was a dismal student in all areas of devotion. Though he was undeniably decent and ethical, he chafed under the rigid morality of the Warrior Fellows. Just before his nineteenth birthday, shortly after which he would be admitted as a oathsworn brother of the Warrior Fellows, Auris' ill-discipline came to a head. As an initiate, he had been serving in various capacities as guard, watchman and assistant to luminaries of the Fellowship. On this fateful day, Auris was one of the guards attending a Primarch of the church on a voyage between cities, when it became clear that a nearby village was under attack from bandits. The Primarch, privileging his own safety over that of the villagers', ordered the Lightbringers not to engage. Seeing the disappointment in his commander's eyes, Auris snatched the bridle of one of the carriage's horse and vaulted onto its back, setting off at a gallop for the village. By the time the rest of the Lightbringers could convince the Primarch to investigate the village, Auris had rallied to town militia and repulsed the bandits. As the Primarch ranted and raved about arrogance and insubordination and apostasy Auris realised that being a Warrior Fellow had never truly been his calling, and quit the order on the spot. While the Primarch spluttered with indignation, the Lightbringer commander announced that, in recognition of his heroism, Auris was entitled to keep his arms and armour, and bade the young half-elf farewell, whispering in his ear "Now go make something of yourself, son" Auris remained in the village for a few months, helping them rebuild after the attack, before heading off into the unknown to go make something off himself. Skills and Personality While Auris trained extensively to join the Lightbringers as a Warrior Fellow and paladin, he has turned from his religious calling, but not forgotten the lessons he learnt from the order's instructors. With a powerful build and a natural talent for swordplay, Auris is a gifted warrior, and his amiable personality and natural charm make him an inspiring leader. Although never particularly devout, he has spent a majority of his life inside religious organisations, and so has a a great deal of familiarity with religions of all varieties. He is a skilled athlete and rider, and like many of his half-elf kin, a natural diplomat. The influence of his elven father can be strongly felt in Auris' free spirit and deeply engrained independence, but he lacks the stateliness and gravitas of his father's people, instead bringing a very human enthusiasm and curiosity to all of his interactions. Having grown up in hallowed halls, Auris now revels in his new-found freedom, and takes joy in many of the small things other take for granted; oversleeping is probably his greatest pleasure. As carefree as Auris can appear at times, when needs must can be a focused and intimidating presence on the battlefield, stepping into the fray without hesitation and accounting for himself as best he can. Although he no longer identifies with the religion of his youth, Auris has a healthy respect for the divine, and, when given the opportunity, pays respect to any and all benevolent deities. A young man with a warrior's skills an few obligations, Auris is trying to find his feet in the world, he feels the pull of something he would hesitantly describe as destiny, and while he'd never admit it, he feels like his like is leading him towards some measure of greatness. He is curious about his father, and the relationship that gave him life, and is drawn towards confronting his grandfather about his origins, but keeps finding excuses to put the encounter off. More than anything, Auris wants a cause to belong to; though the lifestyle of the Fellowship monks and the Lightbringers certainly wasn't for him, he longs for the community that he felt all around him as a youth, and seeks to reclaim it as best he can. Appearance and Equipment Auris, as typical of half-elves, combines many of the best features of both his parent races, taller and broader than an elf, with an ease and grace that goes slightly beyond the human. Standing just over six feet tall, Auris is a strong, fit young man, even by human standards, with fair skin that tends to tan rather than burn and dark gold hair that is usually pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His eyes, the cool silver of moonlight shot through with veins of dark purple, are clearly not quite human. Auris still carries much of the equipment he bore as a Lightbringer initiate, a knee-length hauberk of maille over a padded gambeson, with plate steel armour protecting his legs, arms, neck and shoulders and a barbute helmet. Over the maille he wears a simple leather jerkin of brown suede and a well-worn swordbelt running diagonally from right shoulder to left hip. For weapons he carries a simple but well-made sword designed for two-handed use in a scabbard across his back, with a longbow and two dozen arrows beside it, and a pair of throwing axes hanging from loops on his belt. Finally, draped around his neck, Auris wears a worn and tattered scarf in a faded purple; closer inspection reveals the fabric to be of surpassing quality, and expertly embroidered in silver thread. This scarf is in fact the remnants of a blanket he bore as a child when he was brought to the monastery, and his last memento of his mother. When Auris is nervous or deep in thought, his fingers absently stray to toy with the fabric around his neck.